Parisienne

Yves Saint Laurent arranges Parisienne in three stages: a vinyl accord, evoking varnish and lacquered metal, with cranberry and blackberry at the top; damask rose, violet and peony in the middle; patchouli, vetiver, musk and sandalwood at the base.

The vinyl accord

The vinyl accord is Parisienne’s signature. The house presents it as a nod to nail varnish, lip gloss and stiletto heels; cranberry adds a tart, bitter edge, blackberry a plump roundness.

A bouquet of rose and violet

The middle pairs damask rose with violet, more powdery, and with peony. The base, woody and musky, rests on patchouli, vetiver, musk and sandalwood, which the house wants troubling and intense.

The raspberry often mentioned does not appear among the notes the house declares.

What the label declares

The ingredient list has eighteen entries. It names no fragrant material: rose, violet and woods remain inside the word parfum.

It shows two UV filters, a stabilizer and three colorants, violet, red and yellow, alongside the regulated allergens: alpha-isomethyl ionone, benzyl salicylate, benzyl alcohol, citronellol, limonene, geraniol, anise alcohol, linalool and citral.